Scot, Michael, c.1175-c.1234, medieval scholar, b. Scotland. He served as astrologer and physician at the court of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, where with other scholars he translated Aristotle and Averroës into Latin. Scot was best known as a magician, however, famed for his occult learning and reputed supernatural powers. Numerous legends arose concerning his miraculous feats. He figures in Dante's Inferno and Scott's Lay of the Last Minstrel.

The Ulster-Scot is a free, monthly publication produced by the Ulster-Scots Agency, published in Northern Ireland. It is often a supplement with local newspaper The News Letter. It was first published in November 2002.

It is about the Ulster variety of the Scots language, but the majority of it is written in English. It reports on Ulster-Scots events such as dances and Burns suppers, as well as releases of traditional music on CD and books about Ulster-Scots language and culture.

"The Ulster-Scot" has occasioned some controversy. The writer and broadcaster Malachi O'Doherty reported in the Belfast Telegraph on 2 December 2002:

"I have just received a copy of their paper, The Ulster Scot. I showed it to a republican minded friend and was intrigued by his reaction. "Isn't it great," he said.

What he liked about it is that it makes Ulster Protestants look stupid. It depicts them as chauvinistic and naive."

However, it is also true that the newspaper is enjoyed by many people.

A notable regular feature in The Ulster-Scot is "The Crack", a column written in Ulster Scots, which gives writer Conal Gillespie's opinion on recent news. It can also be read online at ulsterscotsagency.com

The editor of The Ulster-Scot is the church journalist Billy Kennedy and its associate editor is Joanne Crockard.

External links

• Official site